Unsure about which cap type you need? CLICK HERE to view our guide about cap types and LED light bulbs with information about retrofit versus integrated LED downlights.

Downlight Type

Recessed downlights are available in different types such as fixed, adjustable and bathroom (IP65).

Fixed downlights shine the light in one direction which is straight down. Adjustable downlights allow you to direct the light onto a specific object or area of the room. IP65 downlights are used in bathrooms but many modern integrated LED downlights are now IP65 as standard meaning they can be used anywhere!

There are many other variations of these such as adjustable IP65 downlights etc. CLICK HERE for more information.

In any building where people maybe living or inhabiting above, the ceiling below must be fire rated. Fire rated downlights are used to restore the fire integrity of a ceiling.

Insulation Coverable

In order to achieve Part L Compliance (energy efficiency) you shouldn't cut around thermal insulation. If you do this your home or building will not be energy efficient as valuable heat will escape through the hole of the downlight. A downlight can act like a chimney and draw out warm, rising air from a room, up into the cold space above, the effect would be worse in upper floors containing lofts.

Insulation coverable downlights allow you to place thermal insulation directly on top of them.

Beam Angle

Every light source from an LED to a simple wax candle has got a beam angle. A beam angle is a measurement of how the light is distributed. GU10 LEDs and recessed downlights have a fairly narrow beam of around 40 degrees, anything within 5 degrees of this is the industry standard.

A wax candle or traditional light bulb would have a beam angle of 360 degrees as the light shines all the way around but is less intense.

Colour Temperature

Unlike halogens, LED’s are available in various colour temperatures. Colour temperature is a measurement of appearance not brightness.

Choosing the right one can have a dramatic effect on a room. Here is a brief description of the main three:

2700K - Extra warm white. This is similar to a traditional GLS light bulb or halogen. Not all LEDs are available in this colour temperature. This is often referred to as ‘soft white’.

3000K - Warm white is clearer in appearance but still quite warm. This is the ‘new norm’ for general lighting and is the most popular option. If you’re unsure I’d recommend trying this one.

4000K - Cool white is much clearer in appearance and more frequently used in commercial locations. Cool white appears brighter than warm white as the LED is covered in less phosphor. It can make a room appear cold and clinical but can make a room appear clean and ultra modern.

Dimmable

Most lights such as halogen are dimmable as standard but some LEDs are available in dimmable or cheaper non dimmable versions. In the near future all LEDs will be dimmable as standard but for the time being you can save a bit of money by selecting non dimmable if you don't plan to dim them.

Some integrated LED downlights are available in dimmable or non dimmable for the fixed version, but the matching adjustable version is only available in dimmable.

Wattage

Wattage represents the energy consumption of an electrical product. It doesn't always represent the brightness!

Ideally you want a lower energy LED that produces the most amount of lumens. Lumens represents brightness and is a unit that can be compared between different light sources like halogen or CFL versus LED for example.

Compare Products

As winter draws to an end and summer approaches, humanity is slowly returning back out of hibernation. Those DIY garden tasks are nearing the top of the to-do list, your garden needs to be in tip-top condition in anticipation for a warm summer.

Downlights.co.uk brings you an exciting range of outdoor LED lighting products. This range has been hand picked from the UK's leading brands.

Our range includes:

Outdoor downlights

IP68 rated outdoor LED tape

LED bulkheads

Decking lights

LED floodlights

LED ground lights

Spike lights

Step lights

Wall lights

Browse our range of externally rated LED products or contact us on: 01706 868343 for more information.

LED is the ideal choice for outdoor lighting as it’s long lasting, requiring no maintenance. And because LEDs like to run cool, they’re more suited to outdoors where its colder and mainly used at night-time. Overheating is the #1 cause of LED failure, this is caused by poor ventilation and running the LED in fatally high ambient temperatures for too long without any breaks for it to cool down.

Outdoor LED Lighting Brands & Types

Over the past few months are range of outdoor LED lighting has expanded rapidly. We’ve handpicked the best products from the UK’s leading brands which include:

Ansell Lighting

Aurora Lighting

Collingwood Lighting

Forum Lighting

JCC Lighting

LED Strip Fit

Megaman Lighting

From these premier brands we’re able to offer a complete profile to meet your LED lighting needs for outdoors and general garden lighting. Our growing portfolio now includes a fantastic range of products.

Outdoor LED Lighting Features

We offer a selection of high quality externally rated LED lighting fixtures that are designed to last. Our products are backed by a minimum of 2 year guarantee periods with some products extending to 5 years.

Installation

In general, outdoor lighting is more difficult to install than indoor as you’re not only having to mount the lights safely and securely but as they’re also open to the elements, they need to maintain they IP rating, or resistance to water throughout the long cold winter months.

Installing LED ground lights in-particular can be the most difficult especially if you’re fitting them into solid stone or concrete. It’s like wiring a recessed downlight into a solid foundation and having to keep out the water from the connections.

Voltage

We offer some of our products in mains voltage which don’t require any additional transformers as they are built directly into the fitting. Some of the lights we offer are low voltage and require and additional constant voltage or constant current LED driver so be sure to read the descriptions carefully.

Colour Change Outdoor LED Lights

Rather than being limited to just one colour why not opt for colour change LED lights instead? By using an additional controller, you can cycle through different colours and create your own theme lighting.

We even have a control system that lets you separate different areas of your garden into zones and lets you control everything from just one controller.